EP 0 335 282 discloses an arrangement which functions as a three dimensional camera. An image pickup screen is disposed in the focal plane of a convex lens. A movable pin hole is provided on a surface of the convex lens and cyclically scans across the surface. In order to provide a sufficiently convincing three dimensional effect, the camera must provide parallax information over a sufficiently large angular range. This in turn requires that the convex lens have a large aperture. Such large convex lenses are, in general, far too expensive and heavy and of insufficient optical performance for a camera of this type to be practically or commercially viable. EP 0 335 282 suggests that the convex lens may be replaced by a converging Fresnel lens. However, as is well known, Fresnel lenses are unsuitable for imaging applications. Thus, EP 0 335 282 fails to disclose an arrangement which can be commercially implemented.
EP 0 029 568 discloses an arrangement for improving the resolution of an imaging device. A lens is arranged to form an image of an object on an array of photodetectors. A liquid crystal shutter is disposed between the lens and the photodetectors and is controlled so as to transmit a moving segment of the area of the optical path through the arrangement. However, EP 0 029 568 is not concerned with three dimensional imaging.